ABSTRACT:Self-medication provides low cost alternative for expensive medical management but inappropriate use can cause problems. For medical undergraduates such practice has special significance since they have medical knowledge but that to very superficial. Hence the present study was planned to evaluate the status of self medication amongst students studying in different years of MBBS.
To determine the prevalence, attitude and knowledge of self medication amongst medical students of Late Shree Baliram Kashyap Memorial Government Medical College, Jagdalpur.
This questionnaire based study was performed on 181 medical students of 1st, 2nd and final year aged between17-26 years. Mean age was found to be 21.5± 2.5 years. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongst the participants after explaining the purpose of the study and taking informed consent.
The results of this study showed that out of 181 students 164 (90.60 %) students used self medication,
Most common reason for self administration was found to be previous experience 54 (32.92%). Commonest source of information for self medication were doctors (old prescription) 87(53.04%), and the most common indication for self medication was fever 62(37.8 %).
Crocin was the most common medicine used as self medication72 (43.90%).Only 52 (31.70%) students were having the knowledge about content, dose, duration of therapy and adverse drug reaction of the used medication .Side effects were faced by 39 (23.78%) student during the course of self medication. The most common source to obtain medicines for self medication was pharmaceutical store 92 (56.1%).
The findings from this study highlights the striking prevalence of self medication among medical students, the lack of knowledge and the risks associated with them. We recommend that a holistic approach must be taken to prevent this problem from escalating which would involve awareness and education regarding the implications of self medication, strategies to prevent the supply of medicines without prescription by pharmacies and strict rules regarding pharmaceutical advertising.